Zika virus is now knocking on our back door. A single neighborhood in Miami has recorded 14 cases, and health officials announced that mosquitoes in the U.S. have started spreading the disease. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel warning for the area and told couples who have been there recently to put off having children for at least two months.

CDC officials said they could not remember another time in the 70-year history of the disease-fighting agency when it told members of the public not to travel someplace in the U.S., the Associated Press reported.

U.S. health officials have said all along that while isolated clusters of Zika may occur in this country, they do not expect major outbreaks like those seen in Latin America, because of better sanitation and mosquito control and widespread use of air conditioners and window screens. But health officials expressed concern that they continue to see “moderately high” numbers of the type of mosquito that carries Zika, despite aggressive use of insecticides in Florida, AP reported.

Here in Mississippi, the CDC has provided the state with $400,000 to help it detect birth defects and other health problems caused by Zika. The state will also use the money to help families affected by the virus.

Though it’s scary stuff, there are several measures that can be taken to protect against the disease. The National Pest Management Association offers the following tips:

• Remove all sources of stagnant water. Standing water can be found in areas such as gutters, buckets, flowerpots and bird baths. Mosquitoes only need a half-inch of standing water to breed, so it is essential to minimize these areas to reduce offspring.

• Wear an insect repellent containing DEET or another EPA-registered ingredient to help prevent mosquito bites.

•  Minimize outside activity between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.

•  When outdoors, wear long-sleeve shirts, long pants, socks and closed-toe shoes.

•  Use a fan when possible outside. These pests are not strong fliers, so circulating air can make an outside gathering more pleasant.